Temporary connections are used in electronics to connect for example devices to a cable or between two circuit boards. One example of an electrical connector suitable for temporary connection is a pogo pin that usually takes the form of a slender cylinder containing two sharp, spring-loaded pins. Pressed between two circuit boards, the sharp points at each end of the pogo pin make contact with the two circuits and thereby connect them together.
The spring-loaded pins create a separating force between the two devices such as circuit boards or cables. This separating force must be overcome to secure the connection. The connection may be tightened by clamping the connection with a screw or a push clip. Some connectors are equipped with side magnets that attract the connecting parts together. The side magnets must generate a force to overcome the opposite separating force from the spring-loaded pins; thereby the size of the side magnets must be sufficiently large. Side magnets also increase the size of the connector, as it should be wide enough to accommodate the side magnets.